‘I beat breast cancer’

Living with breast cancer

The first thing I would say to anyone diagnosed with breast cancer, is not to panic. It’s amazing what doctors can do these days.

There’s a history of breast cancer in my family, so when I found a lump one day, while I was in the shower, I took it seriously. I went straight to see my GP, who referred me to the Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey. I was given a mammogram and an ultrasound, then called in a week later to get the results.

I took my husband with me. As soon as I heard the words ‘breast cancer’, my brain just stopped working and I didn’t hear any more.

For the next few weeks, I cried a lot. But the staff at the Marsden were brilliant. There was always someone I could talk to.

My breast cancer treatment involved having a lumpectomy, where they removed the lymph nodes from under my left arm. It was impossible to say whether they’d got every single cancer cell, so I had chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well.

I’m in remission now and, although it hasn’t been easy, I’ve got through it and am now looking to the future.Sue Hadfield, 39, Epsom Downs, Surrey